What is ahead for Cheyney & West Chester universities?

As members of Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education, Cheyney University and West Chester University are part of the strategic review being undertaken by the state system — a top-to-bottom examination of the operations of all 14 system universities and the office of the chancellor.

What does that mean to these individual universities, which are serving this community while facing the challenges that many other institutions across the nation are facing?

The intent of the strategic review is to help identify new opportunities that will allow us to continue offering the highest value proposition, which is to best serve students in every region of the commonwealth through high-quality, affordable educational opportunities for years to come.

The numbers tell the story: Overall enrollment across the system has declined by more than 12 percent — or by nearly 15,000 students — over the last six years. The system is receiving about $60 million less from the state this year than it did in 2008, prior to the start of the recession, and an amount essentially equal to what it received in 1999. That’s $60 million less to support the operations of the universities. The status quo is unsustainable.

While Cheyney and West Chester share many of the characteristics of the other universities that comprise the state system, each is unique. Like all of the institutions that comprise the state system, both have been around for more than a century. Founded in 1837 as the “Institute for Colored Youth,” Cheyney stands as the oldest historically black college in the nation. West Chester was founded in 1871, but actually can trace its roots to 1812 and the West Chester Academy, which at the time was one of Pennsylvania’s leading preparatory schools and operated until 1869. Both eventually followed the same progression as their sister schools — becoming state teachers colleges; then state colleges; and, finally, universities in 1983 in order to provide wider access to higher educational opportunities for the region.

Throughout their distinct histories, both have evolved to meet the needs of this region and the commonwealth, and both continue to play important roles. Just as time marches forward, so too must our vigilance to ensuring our universities remain relevant and continually change to match the demands of the 21st century and beyond.

Cheyney is undergoing an important process to develop a new institutional model that will build on its rich history and on its successful programs, such as the Keystone Honors Academy as an example. Also important to the future of Cheyney is its role in preparing future teachers and its strong foothold in the sciences — offering both STEM faculty and students extraordinary research and learning experiences.

West Chester continues to grow rapidly even in the face of challenging statewide demographics. The university is known for its innovative programming, ranging from the Southeastern Pennsylvania Autism Resource Center to the Microanalysis and Imaging Research Center. Kiplinger magazine consistently rates it a “best buy” in public higher education based on its outstanding education and economic value.

All universities in the system are taking the appropriate steps to evaluate how they each fit in the continuously changing higher education landscape in the region, in the commonwealth, and in the nation. The system needs that kind of introspection, which is why we have engaged a consultant with expertise in higher education management to assist with the strategic review, and why it is so important that the university communities be actively involved in this process.

The system strategic review will be comprehensive and open to all possibilities. There have been rumors and speculation that some of the universities within the system could be merged or even closed as a result of this strategic review. That is not the goal. The review is about finding solutions that are right for Pennsylvania, and ensuring each university is meeting the needs of its students, its region, and the commonwealth, today and for years to come. What happens as a result of the review — the changes that could be made in future years — must, first and foremost, benefit our students.

We will gain valuable information by looking at the universities individually and collectively. That is one of the advantages of being part of a system — the ability to leverage each institution’s strengths, to share information, to identify what works well and what doesn’t, and to adopt best practices from each other. Every university in the system can learn from each other through this process

Higher education often is slow to change, but we are working with a sense of urgency. Given the enormous challenges facing virtually every college and university today, change is necessary, and inevitable. We want to be able to guide that change in a positive direction. We approach this challenge with optimism. Cheyney University and West Chester University, like the entire State System, already are seizing the opportunity to change for the better.